


The Enigma Of The Artist

by madd09



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Actor Dan Howell, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Artist Phil Lester, Phandom Reverse Bang, Phandom Reverse Bang 2017, University Student Dan Howell, coffee AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 13:19:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13147548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madd09/pseuds/madd09
Summary: Dan just wants to find somewhere quiet to study with no distractions. Phil just live the atmosphere of the cafe to draw. Little did they know they were both going to be getting very distracted in the coming weeks.This is my phandom reverse bang fic which means I wrote the fic bassed of the amazign art by laura-sketches on tumblr and big thanks to my awesome beta scarletsivan again on tumblr.





	The Enigma Of The Artist

**Author's Note:**

> The amazing art that inspired this fic can be found at http://laura-sketches.tumblr.com/post/168903042680/heres-my-art-for-this-years-phandom-reverse please go like and reblog it if you love this fic.

Dans P.O.V  
You think after making it all the way through school and it being my final semester at Uni I would have outgrown being the world's biggest procrastinator. But yet needless to say I would much rather be playing video games or scrolling Tumblr then actually learning my scripts.

Even though I really do enjoy acting and if I hadn’t gotten into University of Art’s London to do acting and had gone to do Law like I had been considering I doubt I would have made it through a year. I still couldn’t get around not being a procrastinator it was me. 

It was down to the wire now I really didn’t have any more time to procrastinate if I wanted to graduate on time. I tried to remind myself I wanted to prove everyone who doubted me wrong. But that wasn’t enough most of the time.  
My apartment didn’t work too many people and too comfortable I was able to easily lay in my bed and ignore my study.  
The library you think would work it’s full of everyone studying. No distractions everyone has to be quiet doesn’t have my bed. But way too far away from coffee and I couldn't study without a coffee source.

Stupidly I tried Starbucks I mean coffee source and I may have been sleep deprived when I thought that was a good enough reason. I lasted ten minutes before I had to give up. It seemed every other student had the same thought and unlike the library no one enforced everyone to be quiet so it did my head in.

I was trying though I was trying to find a good place to study to try and make procrastinating harder. But honestly, the universe was against me as usual in my life. A thought that was even more cemented when it started to pour with rain. The day after my umbrella broke how stupidly for me to think London would not rain for one day when my umbrella was broken.

Annoyed I ducked into a store to wait it out. It took me a second once in the store to realise I had ducked into a coffee shop. I had walked down the street hundreds of times and had no idea there was a coffee shop here. 

It looked like a great coffee shop as well not too busy yet enough people in the shop to show it obviously had loyal customers as it was a hole in the wall. 

The thing that sold it for me was there was a seat near a power point which in my local Starbucks you had to have the world's best timing. 

I grabbed a coffee and got settled down pulling out one of my scripts to start reading. 

I finished my coffee and as I went up to get another one saw a sign saying try our hot chocolate you won’t regret it 

I loved my hot chocolate and had to test out that statement. 

And I was honestly shocked when it actually was amazing. Cause this whole thing had been too good to be true so far. So the fact that got chocolate actually was good made me think the universe didn’t realise it was me. Or was for once deciding to give me a break. 

I found myself returning to the coffee shop multiple times a week over the coming weeks and while my wallet wasn’t appreciating me returning so often. My studies certainly were. It’s not like I was suddenly way ahead and had life sorted. 

Honestly, I would be concerned I was possessed if that happened. But I wasn’t completely behind and procrastinating either I was managing. Which on one hand was awesome on the hand made me annoyed I hadn’t found this place years ago. 

Now I hadn’t spent all my time studying doing assessments and reading scripts. Because that wasn’t me, of course, I spent time mucking around on my laptop and just observing my environment. 

I had noticed a few regulars who were in often the same time I was. There were two old men who seemed to come in on a Tuesday and Thursday afternoon to play chess. 

There was a man who if I came in after five would be there in a suit reading the paper. 

I had noticed also on Thursday early afternoon there would be a group of middle-aged woman. I hadn’t worked out if they had some kind of book club or just got around to gossip. They all always had a book and it was the same book but they never seemed to discuss the book. 

At least not from some of the conversation I had accidentally overheard when I was ordering drinks. 

I had also noticed a guy who seemed to be there quite regularly almost always when I was there and he always had his head buried in a sketchbook. 

I mean he may look up occasionally but never when I was looking around. And he certainly didn’t seem to suffer from procrastination as he would be sketching when I arrived and still sketching when I left a few hours later. 

After a few weeks, I found myself becoming way too interested in the enigma of the artist. The other regulars I had started to work out bits and pieces of their lives. Some may say that is nosey but it wasn’t I was just interested in my surroundings. 

So it annoyed me that I hadn’t been able to work out one thing about this guy. Not even what he was always drawing as he sat with his back to a walk in one of the corners. So I couldn’t even accidentally happen to glance at him as I walked by. 

So I was shocked when I heard the door open one day a few weeks after I had discovered the place and looked up and saw the artist. Even though I had never even actually seen his face properly it was un a doubtedly him. Even without the sketch pad in his arms to give it away. 

And I don’t know entirely what I was expecting but it wasn’t someone as hot as him. Not that I didn’t think the artist could be hot I just hadn’t expected because he was just I mean his eyes seriously wow. 

I shook my head realising my thoughts were getting away from me. That should have also been the moment I looked away but yet I couldn’t help myself. 

Phils P.O.V  
I was in desperate need of coffee I had spilt my travel mug earlier in the day which meant I hadn’t had as much caffeine as I usually had by this time of day which meant I was a useless zombie. And seeing as I actually had to work on my sketches I knew there was only one place to go. 

There was a reason why I did so much of drawing at my local coffee shop. It fed my caffeine addiction and I actually got work done. Not that I didn’t get work done elsewhere. I had gotten some quite good sketches done at the park earlier but what could I say I was a sucker for coffee. 

I was so focused on getting to the counter and ordering my coffee. That it wasn’t till I had placed my order that I realised the hot guy who had started coming in a few weeks ago was staring at me. He wasn’t glaring or leering plus I did find him attractive so I found myself smiling at him. 

Shocked when hot guy blushed and immediately started down at his laptop. I was honestly shocked I had made him blush. 

In fact, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself that I had made this hot guy blush I was nothing special and yet a smile from me made him blush. 

I wanted to make him blush again. He was even more attractive with a blush on his cheeks. Especially when I was the cause of it. 

While I had noticed hot guy before in the sense that oh there is this new hot guy who is now coming regularly to my local coffee shop. After our encounter where I made him blush I found myself hoping he would be there and I would be given an opportunity to make him blush again. 

What can I say it was good for a guy's ego. I was in a few days after the first encounter and was disappointed to notice he wasn’t in but then again I was pretty sure he wasn’t normally in before me anyway the other day was just an exception.So I grabbed a coffee and started finishing my latest sketch.

Time got away from me when I was sketching but by the time my coffee ran out and I looked up to go and get a new one. He must have arrived he was hunched over the table on his laptop. Pen stuck in between his lips typing away he looked frazzled and yet attractive at the same time.  
He turned his head to look at some papers on the table and must have caught me glancing as he paused and meant my gaze. I didn’t look away though sending him a smile. This time I was sent a smile back in return as well as a blush I could faintly see.

I loved my spot in the coffee shop it was great but I was starting to wish I wasn’t seated across the coffee shop from him even if it wasn’t a particularly large store it was large enough.

This went on for the next two weeks sometimes I would be glancing at him and he would catch me and I would smile he would smile back and blush. Other times though not as often I would feel him glancing my way and meet his gaze. I would send him a smile but those times he never smiled back looking down straight away but still blushing.

You would think after two weeks of the same song and dance one of us would have had the guts to say Hi to each other. There was obvious interest there on both our parts yet he had made no move and neither had I.

And based on his reactions I was pretty sure he was shyer then I was. And that was saying something I hated talking to new people. But then again I would not normally be so confident to smile there was just something about this guy. 

And it wasn’t just his looks though I did find him very attractive. It was his mannerisms and his personality from what I had seen that was what kept drawing me in. I guess I just needed to talk myself into having the confidence to going over and saying Hi.

It would so much easier if we could both arrive at the same time or happen to bump into each other when we were both ordering it was the having to get up and walk over to him that was daunting. If he was right in front of me I think I would have the guts to say hi. But obviously, the universe doesn't want to make things easy for me. 

Instead of going and talking to him I found myself sketching him. Without even realising at first it wasn’t till I got home one day and was looking back through my sketchbook I realised I had done some rough drawings that were obviously him. 

It did happen occasionally I would draw something without meaning to I just got swept away in my head and draw without being conscious of it would start to draw things from my surroundings.But not usually a person.

But I wasn’t to shocked with how drawn to him I had been, he had been occupying my thoughts if made sense he was appearing in my art. 

It wasn’t even like it was every single picture that would be too much. It was just every few pictures when we were at the cafe at the same time. 

Since I had realised I was drawing him. I paid more attention to what I was drawing when I was in the cafe and if something about him caught my eye that day begging to be sketched. I let myself just draw, I had drawn hundreds of sketches of ordinary people doing ordinary tasks it was how I got better at drawing the human figure. 

Today the sun was setting and coming through the window casting a shadow on the back wall. Were hot guy was sitting the shadows he was leaving on the wall was what had caught my eye. I wanted to try and capture the contrast. 

I was so enthralled in drawing while the light was just right that I was startled by the sound of my phone ringing and dropped my sketchbook in surprise while I reached for my phone. 

As soon as I saw the caller I.D seeing my mums name and checking the time I groaned quickly answering my phone.   
“Hey, mum don’t worry I’m on way.” I greeted. 

“Of course you weren’t caught up drawing and lost track of time until I called at all,” Mum replied I should have known not to try and fool here. 

“Maybe a tad caught up in my drawing,” I admitted. 

“As long as you are your way now see you soon child,” I told her I would be there soon. I would just have to pay for a cab to try and actually make our reservations. 

I quickly made my way out of the cafe looking for a cab to catch. It would be the only way I would make our reservation. 

Dans P.O.V  
I was startled out of my concentration by a thud and I looked up and saw it was the artist he had dropped his sketchpad. I was amused as he answered his phone flustered obviously he was running late for something with his mum and he was kind of adorable as he darted out to get to where ever he needed to go. 

I went to go back to my computer before I noticed he had left his sketchbook on the table where he had dropped it. He had been so preoccupied I wasn’t surprised. He seemed to be sketching in it so often I didn’t want him to lose it and knowing we were here at the same time quite often. I found myself getting up to grab it so I could pass it to him tomorrow. 

It would give a good reason to finally say hi to him and if he doesn’t seem receptive I can always pretend I was just returning the book and not interested in starting a conversation. Though the way he kept smiling at me and the fact I had caught him staring at me several times I was pretty sure this interest wasn't one-sided. 

As soon as I saw the sketchbook was opened. I took that as permission to have a look at the sketch it was open to. 

Looking at the sketch I was surprised how good it was. It only took me a moment to realise that the sketch seemed to feature me. 

And well I'm not a good person. Don't get me wrong I'm not a terrible person or anything. But when faced with the sketchbook of the good looking guy that I had been trying to work up the courage to talk to for a few weeks. And see that I was in one of his sketches. I suddenly didn't care about privacy I wanted to look through to see if I was in any others. 

Flipping through his sketchbook I learnt three things about my mystery artist. One he was really talented some of the drawings blew me away. 

Two he seemed to draw whatever caught his eye because there was a large variety of drawings. 

And three I was one of those things that I had caught his eye. The sketches he had drawn of me had me blushing so red.

He made my frazzled studying actually look beautiful and artistic. 

I could have passed the sketchbook to the barista for them to give to the artist when he came in but after seeing the drawings I was even more certain I needed to finally say hi to him and this was the perfect opportunity. 

I grabbed the sketchbook and took it home with me. I found myself taking the time to flick through it admiring each drawing. 

Some people may find it weird that an artist who they had no interaction with beyond smiling was sketching them. 

But I was just flattered this hot incredibly talented guy found me worth sketching. 

And I mean I had started writing my play for one of my assessments and the lead male looked exactly like artist guy and I had even given him so of the mannerisms I had noticed of the artist. So I didn't have a leg to stand on if I called him sketching me weird. 

Honestly, if I was to tell anyone about this they would probably just tell me we both needed to man up and just say hi. 

I hadn’t dated in awhile not because I wasn’t interested just because I hadn’t found someone who found me interesting and who I found interesting and that just fit with my weird schedule. Unless you dated someone who was in your course it was hard to align schedules easy something that caused me to have to cancel dates in the past when group projects had propped up unexpectedly.

But some of my female friends had been harassing me about getting back in the game apparently a relationship would be good for me. I wasn’t one to believe that a relationship can change a person but I was more likely to go out and socialise if I had someone who I wanted to spend time with actually wanting to go out or knowing I had the security of that person I liked being there to spend time with. Which did mean when I was in a relationship I did socialise more. 

Though that also had to do with most of my friends being paired off and you don’t want to be the only single guy when everyone is paired off that is just depressing. If you are spending a Friday night in your boxers beating people online at Mario kart instead it is completely less depressing.

I was carrying the sketchbook around with me the next day and even skipped up on the last thirty minutes of my last lecture so I could hopefully beat the hot artist there. 

I had grabbed a hot chocolate and was set up as usual but instead of doing anything productive. I was spending most of the time watching the door. 

Luckily it must not have been more than twenty minutes before I saw him approaching through the window. I stood up as he entered the cafe and honestly my feeling of nerves was overshadowed by a feeling of about time, Dan. 

I approach the artist and got his attention saying “ Umm I think you dropped this by accident”

Phis P.O.V

“Thank you for returning it to me I was freaking out massively I called and they said it wasn’t here so I had thought I had lost all my work.” I rambled

“No problem you’re very talented by the way.” I blushed realising that meant he had seen my drawings of him.

“You had a look through?” It didn’t come out as nonchalant as I was hoping.

“I hope you don’t mind it was open and like I said you are very talented, you even make me look good.” He seemed to drift off at the end there but I still managed to hear and opened my mouth in shock. 

“Please, I don’t do you justice I feel like you should only be drinking hot tea in here because you are a hottie.” I was rewarded with not only a blush but a shy laugh.

“Umm thank you.” He answered Shly.

“I mean it I noticed it the first time I saw you how good looking you are. I’m Phil by the way.” Realised I should probably introduce myself before I continued flirting.

“I’m Dan and honestly I think you must just be looking in a mirror and getting confused.”Well, he isn’t to shy.

“Please your ass is so nice that it is a shame that you have to sit on it.” I flirted back.

“I’ll have you know you a walking a dangerous slope I have a guilty pleasure for cheesy pickup lines I’m like the energiser bunny I can go all day and night baby.” As cute as I found him when he was shy and blushing he was hot when he was confident.

“I'll have you know I am the cheesy pickup line master I can keep up with you and I have a question Are you a camera? Because every time I look at you, I smile.” I loved pick up lines as long as they were cheesy and weren’t used to harass people I think they are awesome.

“Was that an earthquake or did you just rock my world? With that comment" Oh he was smooth.

“How about I get us a coffee and we can sit down and continue this and get to know each other better.” I offered seriously.

“I could go for a refill but I get to buy next time,” Dan answered that lovely blush back on his cheeks. 

“It’ can be our second date,” I answered smiling. 

“First date hasn’t even started yet and we are already planning our second is that good or crazy? So far all we know we have in common is loving cheesy pickup lines ” Asked Dan laughing.

“It depends answer these three questions ‘Do you think art isn’t a viable career?’ ‘Do you judge people who spend to much time on the internet?” and most importantly “Do you judge people who eat cereal dry?’” I queried asking the real important questions that could stop this flirtation before it could turn into more.

“‘I'm in my last semester of my acting degree and want to work on west end so can’t judge any artist.’ Some people would say I spend too much time procrastinating on the internet instead of doing what I'm meant to so I probably only judge people who don’t spend a good portion of their day on the internet.’ ‘and to be honest I don't really have thoughts either way on eating cereal way I’ve never really considered my stance on it.’” Dan answered and as each answer aligned with my thoughts I was feeling like this could become something awesome. We really just clicked.

“I mean besides not having a stance on dry cereal eating you sound pretty awesome so I wouldn’t say we are being crazy. Anything you need to know about me though to be reassured?” I asked. 

“Are you a serial killer?” I couldn’t help but laugh at that question it was not what I had been expecting.

“I can assure you I am not a serial killer of anything besides plants. I will admit I have unfortunately killed a few too many houseplants in my life I just love them too much.” It was one of my biggest flaws.

“You sound like a terrible person I don’t know if we can continue this flirtation.” I would have taken offence if the sarcasm in his voice wasn’t so obvious.

“You speak in sarcasm a lot don’t you?” I asked.

“Look at this you're figuring me out already normally it takes people at least two conversations to work out I’m actually being sarcastic.” I could just imagine how many people had thought he was insulting him he was actually being sarcastic he gave off that vibe.

The conversation started to just flow from there Dan telling me all about his course and what it was like studying drama, how he had found this place and his awful habit of procrastinating. We bonded over both of our mutual love of video games and I could already see us playing video games together in the future. 

Now that we had started talking I don’t know why I had let myself be so nervous about interacting while yes normally interactions were awkward and hard for me with new people. This was the easiest conversation I had probably participated in since I was five. 

I explained to him about my art career and how I did actually have a job doing commissions and bits and bobs for different advertisers it meant I got to set a lot of my own hours and I was able to spend my time working on my new exhibit which I was trying to find theme for which was the reason I had my head buried in my sketchbook lately trying to find a theme to inspire me. 

We ended up staying until the literally kicked us out five hours later. I felt bad that Dan had got no studying done but he didn’t seem bothered. I turned to him as we made our way outside.

“So do you still want to buy the drinks on a second date?” I asked.

“Ill even buy you a muffin so you get food as well. Pass me your phone and I'll add my number. “ I was all smiles as I passed my phone to him letting him add his details and send himself a text.

“I’m going to hold you to buying me a muffin I take my sweets seriously Daniel.” Taking my phone back when he was done. 

“Well I have to, unfortunately, get back and do some kind of study tonight but you have my number now text me and we can work out when I’m going to buy you that muffin.” Even though he was saying bye he made no move to step away from me.

“You can text me to later let me know if you get any study done and send me that anime recommendation list if you have time.” This was the point where we should say bye and part ways we had spent five hours talking. Yet I still felt like we still had so much more to talk about I guess that was a good sign for the second date.

We were just standing in front of each other smiling at each other so I found the courage to take another half a step forward so I was right in front of him and pressed a quick chaste kiss on his lips.

“Go home and get your study done so I can see you again soon,” I told him as I pulled away. 

“That may actually be the only thing enticing enough to stop me from procrastinating see you soon Phil. 

We finally parted ways and I was left with a feeling that something really special had just happened like this was going to be a night I would remember for a long time. Even if things didn’t work with Dan but they way we connected I was very hopeful that things would work out. 

Dans P.O.V

It’s not like I had had a ton load of previous relationships but I had had a few and I wasn’t normally one who spent most of his time checking his phone and texting the other person especially not after just the first date. And I normally took a while to actually feel an emotional connection with someone. I would feel a physical attraction easily enough but it took getting to know someone over a few dates before I would start to trust them enough to start to feel an emotional connection.

Yet after one conversation, I felt like I could already trust Phil. I never understood people who said they met someone and they just clicked but now I got it. Phil got me and didn’t judge me and sadly I couldn’t say that about a lot of the people I meet be it my choice of career or my sarcastic self-deprecating jokes about myself and the way I swore way too much people seemed to always judge me before they even got to know me. 

I was the weird introvert and Phil didn’t care cause he was judged the same way something we had spent into the early hours of the morning discussing one night over text. 

Phil had told me he had found a muse in me and taken to sketching me when we were hanging out at his he had decided he wanted to do his exhibit on and I had something to do with inspiring it but he wouldn’t tell me what I had to wait till the reveal. That was incredibly frustrating for me because I hated suspense and wanted to know.

But I got him back telling him had inspired the main character in my play and that it was finished but then refusing to let him read it. Telling him he could read it when I got to see his exhibit.

I was forever thankful for not having an umbrella and finding that coffee shop because not only did they really have wonderful hot chocolate it did help me study and beat my procrastination and that was where I met Phil and that been one of the best things to happen to me since I moved to London and not just because he was great at making me study when I didn’t want to and not because I had an excuse to look up pick up lines to try and out flirt him on a regular basis.

But to be sappy because I had met a wonderful amazing guy.


End file.
